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Tag Archives: Slang

How to Say “What’s Up” in Portuguese Posted by on Apr 10, 2011

We’ve talked about similar slang expressions in the past, but for beginners, it’s helpful to know a few ways to say “what’s up?” Keep in mind that these expressions are to be used in informal circumstances amongst friends. 1. E aí? This is the easiest and most common way to say “what’s up?” in Portuguese…

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Arrasar Posted by on Jan 18, 2011

Last week, we took a look at the adjective arrasado. This week, we’re going to look at the verb arrasar, which has a few similar negative meanings, and a few very different positive connotations. 1. Destroy, devastate (literally or emotionally) As chuvas arrasaram a Região Serrana do Rio. The rains devastated Rio’s mountain region. A…

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Putz Grila! Posted by on Dec 28, 2010

One of the best ways to speak like a native is to pepper your speech with colloquial phrases and slang, which is why we’ve been focusing on these expressions lately. Awhile back, we learned about some exclamations, including putz.  This word means oh no! or darn it! or uh oh! and is used as an…

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Para Variar Posted by on Dec 20, 2010

There’s an interesting slangy expression in Portuguese that is used to express sarcasm, and it’s a helpful one to know to throw into conversation to sound more like a native. Let’s take a look at how it’s used. Para variar literally means “for a change,” but when used in conversation, it actually means the opposite…

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Gauchês – Making it in Rio Grande do Sul Posted by on Jul 20, 2010

Next on my Brazilian dialect series, is probably one of the most different of Brazilian states, “Gauchês,” spoken by those who live in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (and parts of Mato Grosso do Sul), the southernmost state in Brazil.  Those who live in Rio Grande do Sul are known as gaúchos, and…

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Pernambuquês – Preparing to Visit Pernambuco Posted by on May 10, 2010

After getting pretty good feedback on my How to Speak Baianês post, and seeing we also have a Mineirês post, I thought I’d write slang/dialect posts here and there so we can all learn to be ready no matter what region we visit! This week I started at a new job and two of my…

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Baianês – How to Speak Like You’re From Bahia Posted by on Mar 22, 2010

As you’re reading this, I’ll probably be in Salvador, Bahia!  My friend and I are in Salvador and Morro de São Paulo in Brazil’s northeast state of Bahia this week. I have always wanted to go to Bahia because of the state’s rich culture, music, and food.  Salvador is the state’s capital and it supposedly has…

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